1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to debris deflection devices for vehicles, and more particularly pertains to a new trailer protection system removably mountable on a conventional tow hitch assembly of the vehicle for intercepting flying debris raised by the wheels of a vehicle while offering minimal resistance to air flow through the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of debris deflection devices such as mud flaps on vehicles is known in the prior art. However, the known devices have various drawbacks. For example, some known devices only provide limited protection because they extend laterally under the vehicles only as far as the approximate width of the wheels (such as is true for traditional mud flaps). Such devices thus do not extend across a relatively large central area under the vehicle, and debris movement through this central area is relatively unimpeded and can damage following vehicles or a trailer being pulled behind the vehicle. Further, some known devices employ relatively solid panels that present significant air flow resistance when the vehicle is moving, and are often pivoted upward by the air flow, which reduces the ability of the solid panel to block flying debris. Structures have been proposed that attempt to resist the upward pivot movement of the devices when subjected to air flow at highway speeds, but these structures themselves can be struck and possibly damaged if they strike the pavement when the vehicles, for example, enters or exits a curb cut of a driveway.
Also, some devices are relatively difficult to mount on a vehicle in a secure manner that will hold during highway travel without loosening, and may also be difficult to remove during times when flying debris protection is not needed. Some of the known devices will mar or otherwise damage the appearance of the portions of the vehicle on which the device is mounted. For example, set screws may be used to bear against structures such as tow hitch assemblies, and the bearing of the set screw against the tow hitch assembly may chip paint when the set screw is turned against the tow hitch assembly.
Another aspect of the known debris deflection devices that may present problems is the inability to adjust the proximity of the device to the ground to accommodate the variation in ride heights of different vehicles. If the user does not want to leave a significant gap between the device and the ground, or does not want a portion of the device to drag on the ground, the user must determine the proper height for the device on his or her particular vehicle, and then either purchase a customized device with the proper height or be able to adjust the height of a one-size-fits-all device.
Such drawbacks as are described above, along with other drawbacks not explicitly set forth herein, have limited the effectiveness and popularity of the known debris deflection devices.